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<title>step one: wikihow is your friend by hadesdancehall (jeien)</title>
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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22539250">step one: wikihow is your friend</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/jeien/pseuds/hadesdancehall'>hadesdancehall (jeien)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>A3! (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>ChikaIta are bad at the feelings thing, M/M, Valentine's Day, but they're getting there, faking sick</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 13:53:31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>522</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22539250</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/jeien/pseuds/hadesdancehall</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Some say that necessity is the mother that births improvement; others say it’s laziness. Both become integral to Itaru’s improvement as an actor, especially around Valentine’s Day.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Chigasaki Itaru/Utsuki Chikage</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>75</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>step one: wikihow is your friend</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/espurred/gifts">espurred</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>For Electra!! You gave me free reign for this prompt, so I hope you like it!!!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Some say that necessity is the mother that births improvement; others say it’s laziness. Both become integral to Itaru’s improvement as an actor, especially around Valentine’s Day.</p><p>He’s not as hardcore as anyone in the Winter Troupe, but Itaru knows the benefits of well-done research and planning. Muku’s steady gaze on source material, Sakyo’s constant consumption of any storytelling media, Tsumugi’s subtle experiments with nuanced interpretations, Taichi’s fervent immersion in any relevant subjects—the fruits of his troupemates’ labors are proof of just how effective such measures could be. Itaru’s modus operandi never allows him to go so hard unless it involves gaming. Not even with acting, though he’s does try harder with that than he does at work, where he pushes just enough to pass off as a reliable employee while still flitting away from his coworkers’ nightmares of all-nighters and endless overtime.</p><p>But.</p><p>It’s Valentine’s Day.</p><p>And there’s a special event in one of his mobile games that’s projected to be even more of a Valentine’s Grinding Hell than in past years.</p><p>So, of course Itaru has to take a page off the Theater Nerd Book and go full method—and to do <em>that</em>, he first has to search through various websites just to come up with a convincing enough act to get him out of what he already predicts to be Mankai Company’s involvement with the Actors’ Café. He hits several websites before he finds something quick and effective enough to suit his needs from a global forum of teenagers desperate to skip school.</p><p>Does it work?</p><p>“Looks like you didn’t need the medicine I bought after all, Chigasaki.”</p><p>Almost.</p><p>Itaru doesn’t even bother to glance up at Chikage, focusing on reequipping the proper support cards. “You probably knew from the beginning I was faking. Why didn’t you say anything to the Director?”</p><p>“It was pretty amusing to see you miss out on your gaming time trying to fake a migraine for an entire night,” Chikage says. He rummages through the plastic bag in his hands before tossing a thin box onto his lap. “But, well, I figured I’d give you a treat, too. Just to keep in the spirit of things.”</p><p>Honestly, he was just expecting to get mobile play cards, if anything. There’s a reason he keeps saying that Chikage is an unromantic senpai—both in terms of adventure and actual romance.</p><p>But high-quality chocolates? With the red ribbon and everything?</p><p>Huh.</p><p>Maybe miracles <em>are</em> a thing.</p><p>(There’s a small part of him that feels happy. Even before he opened the box and found the play cards taped under the lid.)</p><p>“Wow. You sure <em>you're</em> not the one getting sick?”</p><p>“Does lovesickness count?”</p><p>“Oof. That actually gave me the heebie-jeebies.”</p><p>“Hah. See if I’ll be this generous again with that attitude.”</p><p>“Oh well. Thanks, I guess.”</p><p>(Itaru doesn’t know about how August’s voice had scolded Chikage with a mix of exasperation and fondness throughout the entire process because <em>April, please put some actual thought into this</em>.</p><p>Chikage will spoil him today and let him get away with those jokes. He’ll just collect his dues on White Day.)</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Did I actually look up how to fake getting sick from Wikihow? Uhhh</p><p>Come scream with me on <a href="https://twitter.com/jeienb">Twitter</a></p></blockquote></div></div>
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